Farm Girl
by xdivergentmockingjayx
Summary: In an attempt to keep her family from starving, Katniss gets a job at a farm in district 11 owned by the Mellark family. The only problem is, she might be falling in love with her boss, Peeta.. AU with districts.
1. Chapter 1

**Katniss**

I begin my new job in a rusty, old shed, shovelling horse droppings. My mind is free to wonder, as my task doesn't require a whole lot of concentration, although the smell is awful. This may not be the fanciest or well paying job, but I need the money. Back home, my sister is sick from malnutrition and this is the only way I can earn money to get us enough to eat. Once I've received my first paycheque, I'll send it to my mother and sister.

Hopefully, I won't have to spend too long here, hopefully I'll have earned enough in a couple of months to be able to go back home with a considerable amount of money. A pang of longing runs through me. Home. What I wouldn't give to be there now. I have to remind myself that I have to do this for my sister, Prim, who is only twelve and who I love more than anyone else. Just the thought of her is enough motivation to keep me going, although my back aches and my head is pounding.

The sound of footsteps approaching distracts me from my shovelling. I look up to see my employer, Peeta Mellark. As far as I know, his parents own this farm and he is in charge of managing its staff. I stand and lean my shovel against the wall.

'Mr Mellark,' I say nervously, desperately hoping I'm not in trouble or something of the sort. He smiles, which I take as a good sign. 'Please, call me Peeta', he says warmly and I nod. 'Okay. Peeta.'

'There's no need to look so worried', he tells me, his blue eyes twinkling. 'I just wanted to introduce you to some of the other staff who work here.' He gestures to a couple of workers who are filling a wheelbarrow with rocks. They come over and stand next to him as he introduces them to me.

'This is Gale', he says pointing to the man furthest from him. 'He works mainly out in the fields, growing and harvesting the crops.' The man, Gale, scruntizes me for a moment and it occurs to me how similar we look. He has grey eyes and dark hair just as I do. We could be siblings. 'I'm Katniss', I say. 'I just started working here,' I add before realising that he probably knows already. He nods, regardless, but doesn't speak. 'Johanna', Peeta says next, gesturing to a woman with cropped brown hair and brown eyes. She nods, but like Gale, doesn't speak. 'She also works in the fields.'

'And lastly, Finnick and Madge', he announces. Finnick winks at me cheekily and ruffles his bronze coloured hair. The girl next to him, Madge, looks similar to Prim with her blonde hair, but older, of course. She says hello quietly without making eye contact. Peeta claps his hands together, smiling. 'Great. So now that we all know each other, let's get to work.' He says goodbye and heads off. I'm about to get back to my shovelling when I notice the group Peeta just introduced are staring at me.

'Do you like him?', Johanna asks with a grin, speaking for the first time. I nod my head. 'Yeah, he seems nice', I reply. I may have only just met him, but he was kind to me and he seems to treat his workers well. Johanna's grin widens. 'No, no, I mean do you _like_ him.' I tilt my head in confusion and she huffs, frustrated. 'Never mind. We should let you continue your work'. She nods towards the shovel behind me. See you later!', she calls as the group of them return to filling the wheelbarrow with rocks.

I watch them for a moment before remembering I have work to do. Feeling resigned, I retrieve my shovel and resume my task. I notice with relief that the smell no longer bothers me although my palms are rubbed raw and covered with scratches. I continue shovelling until I hear the clanging of a bell in the distance. I drop my shovel with relief and exit the shed. Earlier today, Peeta had told me that the workers are provided with dormitories to sleep in and food to eat along with money in exchange for their labour. The clanging of the bell is the signal that it's time for supper.

As I make my way to the large warehouse that serves as a communal dining hall, my eyes survey the farm. From this angle, it's vastness is far more noticeable. The warehouse, dormitories and animal sheds are the only buildings besides two I'm not sure about. The rest of the space is occupied by endless fields for growing and harvesting crops. I imagine them full of workers farming the land, as at the moment, all the workers are heading into the warehouse where food is served, which I decide to call simply 'the warehouse'.

The warehouse is a way away from the shed I've been working in, but after a day of hard work, the walk is oddly relaxing. I watch the animals roaming the land freely, stopping only to eat a bunch of grass or take a drink of water. Peeta had told me that there are hundreds of animals living on this farm, but I can only count around twenty at the moment. Presumably they have been shepherded in for the evening or they are being hidden from my view by the buildings.

I'm surprised when I glance up to see the large warehouse in front of me, having reached it more quickly than I'd expected. I hesitate at the door, wondering if we're supposed to wait until we're told to enter or just go in. The other workers, however, are filing in, so I follow them.

On the inside, the warehouse is even bigger than it'd seemed from the outside. Three quarters of the room are occupied by long tables and plastic chairs, the other quarter being the area where food is served. I follow a group of workers into the line and grab a tray. When at last, I'm in the front of the queue, a short woman with curly blonde hair asks what I want to eat. I stare down at the trays of dishes to choose from: salads, stews, pastas and large pile of delicious-looking bread rolls. Everything looks so good that I'm tempted to ask for a bit of everything, but I resist, not wanting to get sick. Instead I opt for some stew and two rolls.

My eyes scan the room for any familiar faces and a spot an empty seat at the table where Finnick, Johanna, Gale and Madge are sitting with two others whose names I don't know. I walk up to their table slowly, wondering whether to sit with them or not. My decision is made for me when Finnick looks up from his conversation with Johanna and waves me over.

'Hey', I greet them, placing my tray down on the table. They all look up and Johanna introduces me to the other two on their table. 'This is Annie', she says, pointing towards a woman with dark hair and sea green eyes. 'And this is Delly.'

She gestures towards a woman with blue eyes and a heart shaped face on Annie's right. Delly leans over her tray and gives me a hug. I pull back, out of habit, and she releases me instantly. 'Sorry. I'm just so glad to finally meet you. I heard we had a new worker here and I was curious.'

I smile at her. 'It's fine. It's my first day working here actually, and I-'

'Wait, that's all you're eating?' Johanna interrupts, narrowing her eyes at the food I picked.

'Yes?' It comes out as a question although I hadn't meant for it to. 'Is that a problem?', I add spooning stew into my mouth.

She frowns slightly. 'Well, it's going to be a long day tomorrow. You're going to need enough energy to get through it..'

'This is fine', I insist. 'I didn't want to eat to much and get sick.' Johanna's frown deepens at my response. 'Get sick? Why would you get sick?'. Suddenly a wave of recognition hits her and her expression clears. 'Oh, right. What district are you-'

Delly shoots her a stern look and she falls silent, biting her lip.

'I'm from District 12', I reply, in answer to her unfinished question. 'And no, we never have enough food', I snap. An uncomfortable silence fills the air and I can't help but feel guilty. 'I'm sorry', I mutter, dropping my head into my hands. 'Its been a long day.'

'I understand', she says graciously. 'My first day here was awful too.'

I glance up at her, waiting for elaboration. 'I got locked in the shed with the cows', she admits after a brief pause. Finnick chuckles. Johanna glares at him before continuing. 'My first job was to feed the cows, only I didn't know how the lock worked and- well, you get the rest.' She drops her eyes to the table. 'I hated it though. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing. I was stuck there for hours until Mr Mellark heard me banging on the door.' The smile has disappeared of Finnick's face to be replaced with one of concern. He loops his arm around her neck comfortingly. 'I'm sorry, Johanna. That sounds awful.' says Annie, frowning.

'I'm fine', Johanna insists. 'I'm fine', she repeats, shoving Finnick's arm off her shoulder, although she's smiling now. 'It was a long time ago, anyway.'

'How long have you worked here?', I ask curiously, hoping to lighten the mood.

She considers. 'I started here when I was 22. I'm 24, so it's two years now', she concludes, nodding.

'T-two years?', I stutter, hoping I somehow misheard. 'But, how?'

She shrugs. 'I was originally planning to work here six months at the most, but things changed. Plus, Peeta's a great boss.' She grins.

'What's he like?', I ask the group. I'd met him, of course, but only briefly. They know him better than I do. 'Well, he's really kind', begins Delly. 'Yeah, he's a good guy', Gale adds. 'He's very helpful', pipes Madge. 'And he has the most beautiful eyes', finishes Annie, sighing. They turn to me. 'So, what do you think of him?', Gale asks. I shrug. 'He's seems nice, like I said before. He was really kind and he showed me around the farm. I like him'. I can feel my face getting hot.

Johanna smirks. 'Looks like someone's got a little crush!,' she stage whispers to the

group. 'What? No!', I say, caught off guard. 'I didn't mean it like that', I say firmly.

Johanna looks skeptical. 'Whatever you say'.

I ignore her and instead turn to Annie and Delly, at the far end of the table. 'What do you two do here?', I ask, having to lean over Finnick to see them. 'I work with the animals', Delly says cheerfully. 'And Annie here works in the office.'

'Cool'. I try to keep an interested expression on my face as they explain how their jobs work, but really I'm just mulling over what Johanna said. It's stupid. Of course I don't have a crush on Peeta. At least that's what I tell myself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Katniss**

Slowly, I begin to settle into my new job. After a few day of basic training, I am put to work out in the fields along with Gale, Finnick, Madge and Johanna. Life on the farm may be very different from back home, but it isn't long until I find myself getting used to the routine.

We get Sunday's off, so Delly suggests we go see the horses. 'Are you sure about this?', I ask Delly nervously, as we walk up the hill to the horse stable. I have to admit I'm a little anxious at the thought of going so close to a horse. She grins widely. 'Of course, Katniss. It'll be great'. I try to let her comment comfort me, but Delly is so upbeat about everything I can't tell if her assurance is genuine. Annie and Madge follow behind us, being the only two to agree to come. Annie looks excited, but Madge looks almost as afraid as I feel. Delly fiddles with the lock on the door for a moment, before pushing it aside to reveal the four horses within.

Two of them are brown with black markings and the others are different shades of grey. Admittedly, they don't look all that menacing, but their height is quite intimidating. For me, at least. Delly gestures encouragingly for us to come closer.

Annie steps forward immediately, seemingly awed by the creatures. She starts to pat one of the brown ones, grinning. 'Katniss, Madge!', Delly calls, waving us over. 'Come on. They're harmless!', she promises. Madge and I share an unsure glance.

Delly works with animals, so she knows more about them than we do, but I still feel conflicted. I don't want to disappoint her though, so I walk towards one of the dappled horses. After another encouraging look from Delly, I reach out my hand and gently stroke the horse's neck. It has a smooth, soft texture that reminds me of a blanket. With a little more persuasion, Madge, too, approaches the horse tentatively. I demonstrate the gentle stroking motion on the horse's neck and she copies.

Delly claps her hands, beaming. 'Great! You guys did so well!', she exclaims, practically bursting with enthusiasm. 'Maybe next time you can ride them!'.

Madge looks at me worriedly, which makes Delly laugh. 'Don't worry, I'm just kidding. You could if you wanted to, though'. She keeps up a steady flow of praises as we walk back to our dormitories and I find myself starting to tune out.

That evening, supper is just as varied and exciting as it had been on my first day. Quiches, salads, soups, stir fries and pastas all compete for my attention. I don't know if my stomach has fully adjusted to the food here yet, so I keep it minimal with a slice of quiche and a small portion of salad along with a bread roll.

The first thing Johanna and the others ask when we're all seated around our usual table is how the horse visit went. Delly launches into a whole story about well we did and how she is so proud that we did it. I can't help but roll my eyes a little.

'Did you know they celebrate Halloween here?', I ask quickly, when Delly has to stop to take a breath. I'm not particularly interested in Halloween but I feign excitement in order to change the topic. Peeta told me about the celebration on my first day here.

'Oh, yeah, they do every year', says Finnick. 'I've been here for two years and they did it both times'. He swallows a bite of stew before continuing. 'It's pretty good, actually. You get to dress up, and there's a party, so we get a day off.'

'Last year Johanna dressed up as a farm worker', adds Gale, chuckling. 'Creative, right?' Johanna glares at him. 'Yeah, because there are so many other things I could dress up as', she snaps back. 'I mean-'

'What are you going to do this year?', I interrupt quickly, not wanting them to have an argument.

Johanna shrugs, spooning soup into her mouth. 'I don't know. It's only August,' she points out. 'I know I won't be a farmer', she says, waving her spoon menacingly at Gale, who simply rolls his eyes and returns to his dinner.

'I heard that Peeta's going away for a few days next week', pipes Madge suddenly.

This catches my attention, although I try to sound uninterested when I speak.

'Really? I wonder why.' I say, aiming for a offhand tone. I bite into my roll, chewing casually.

Delly looks speculative for a moment, but I notice she's biting her lip like she does when she's nervous. 'I don't know', she admits finally. She frowns for a moment thinking, before seemingly shrugging it off. She changes the subject a little too quickly afterwards.

The next morning, as we are seated around our usual table for breakfast, I can't help feeling like something's off. The others are engaged in a conversation about their lives at home, so I let my eyes flicker around the table, searching for a cause of the shift. I squint at everybody, and then it hits me. Johanna isn't here. I frown. It isn't like Johanna to be late for a meal. That woman has the appetite of an elephant.

'Do you know where Johanna is?', I ask, turning to Gale who sits beside me. He looks confused for a moment, and his grey eyes travel around the table, as if she'd appear out of thin air. 'No, I don't', he answers, perplexed. 'Maybe she's sleeping in?' I nod, although that's highly unlikely. Johanna is, on principle, very much a morning person, and besides, we are all required to be up by seven on working days. 'I'll just go check on her', I say quietly. He nods, and I manage to slip away from the table without anybody else noticing.

Outside in the cold Autumn air, the wind bites at my exposed skin. I pull my thin jacket tighter around myself, shivering. I hurry to the dormitory building and take the steps on the winding staircase that leads to the rooms two at a time. The girls dormitories are on the right, the boys on the left, although we each have our own small room. Johanna's door is locked. 'Johanna?', I question, knocking firmly. No answer. I call louder, and knock with more force. Nothing.

'Johanna!', I shout. 'Are you in there?'. Still nothing. 'If you don't answer, I'll break down the door', I threaten. She knows me well enough to figure that it's not an empty threat. I pause for a moment, listening for a reply. When none is forthcoming, I realise that I actually will have to break down the door. Stepping backwards, I take a deep breath before kicking out as hard as I can. After a few more kicks, the door's hinges give way, and it swings open. For once, I am grateful for the poor quality.

Cautiously, I step inside the room. After a quick glance around, I can tell she's not here. The room looks strange though, clothes and shoes have been discarded on the floor as if by someone in a hurry. Johanna is not a particularly neat person, but this isn't like her. I step over a grey jacket, thinking furiously. Where is she?

I inspect the room more carefully, looking for details which might help my quest for the answer. A scrap of paper lying on her bedside table catches my eye and I pick it up, hands shaking.

Don't worry about me.

I read the four short words quickly, but they are of no use. I want to scrunch the paper into a ball and hurl it out the window. Don't worry about me? That doesn't tell me anything, and now I feel even more worried than before.

I have to tell someone. It's obviously not something I can just handle alone. Who knows Johanna well enough to have any idea where she might be? My mind immediately goes to our group of friends. They've known her longer than I do, so they might have a better clue as to where she's gone. It occurs to me, however, that going back to the Dining Warehouse and explaining the situation would take a great deal of time. Time I don't have.

I rack my brain for ideas. So now that Gale, Finnick, Annie, Delly and Madge are off the table, who else could help? I consider Darius, the red-headed man who works in the office, but I've met him only a few times, and besides, the office is right on the opposite side of the farm. I will myself to think harder, to remember someone I may have forgotten, anyone who may be able to help. Then, suddenly, it occurs to me.

Peeta.

**Peeta**

The funny thing about working on a farm is that it's a quiet job. You wouldn't think so, what with all the animals and the hundreds of workers we employ, but it is.

As the manager of the employees, I have a fair amount of spare time. More than most people here do. Usually, I spend it painting or baking, or even reading. My bookshelf is well stocked, all the classics and then a few others. Cookbooks, art related books and travel books which I enjoy reading although I know that I'll probably never go to any other districts besides this one and the district in which I grew up, 12.

Today however, I'm occupying the time I have spare by writing a letter to my two older brothers. They remained in district 12 when my mother, father and I made the move to district 11. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I'd refused to come and insisted in staying there. I wouldn't be working on a farm, that's for sure.

I've written only a few lines before I get stuck on what to say. I have a lot to tell them of course, but some small part of me wonders if they even care. I'd like to hope that they do, because I wonder what they are doing all the time. It makes me sad, sometimes, when I think about how close we were when we were younger. Practically inseparable. But now, they are in their mid twenties and have families of their own. Their children are sweet, and my brothers adore them. And I get along well with their wives, Alana and Samantha. I just wonder, sometimes, what life would be like if we were closer.

I write another paragraph, but I can feel myself getting distracted at the view outside my window, where I can see into the garden of a nearby tiny hut. A young boy of around six and his mother are playing a game with two sticks. I can't tell what they're doing exactly, but they both look so happy. My mother and I have never had a good relationship. Even when I was a child, she always seemed to favour my brothers over me. I grew up wondering what I'd done wrong. And I never found the answer.

In the letter, I tell them all about life here on the farm. I ask them many questions about their lives, too. How their wives and kids are doing, when their eldest is due to start school. Nothing that requires too much thought. I can only hope that they reply.

When, at last, I finish the letter, the mother and son have gone inside. I stare outside the window for a moment, before rousing myself and sealing the letter in an envelope.

I weigh the letter in my hand, imaging their reactions after reading it. Would they be glad I contacted them and rush to reply?

Or, would they simply shove my letter away into a drawer and forget about it? I push the negative thoughts away and place the envelope next to the front door, where can post it tomorrow. Whether or not they reply is up to them. The most I can do is send them the letter and hope for the best.

Glancing at my watch, I see that I still have an hour of spare time until I have to attend a meeting I scheduled about changing the brand of seeds we use on the farm. That's another quirk of working here. Even the tiniest change in fertiliser or animal feed warrants a whole meeting.

Getting up, I shuffle through my bookshelf in search of something to read. My hand immediately finds one of my favourites, and I settle into my armchair and start to read. Within only a few minutes, I am so caught up in the story that I almost don't hear the knock. It's a frantic, urgent sounding knock, so I hurry to the door. I give the doorknob a rapid twist and pull the door open to reveal Katniss. Her eyes are wide with desperation and she is chewing hard on her bottom lip.

'Peeta', she says hurriedly, before I can ask her what's wrong. 'You have to help me. Johanna's gone missing.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Katniss**

I watch Peeta's expression go from disbelieving to confused to worried in the space of only a few seconds. 'What?' He says the word so quietly that I almost miss it. 'What do you mean? How has she gone missing?'

'She didn't come down for breakfast, so I went to go check on her, but she wasn't in her room'. My voice trembles as I explain, but I force myself to keep talking. 'I've asked everyone I can think of and no one has seen her. I think she must have run away.' I meet the gaze of his shocked blue eyes. 'Please help me find her', I whisper.

He gives a tight nod, his expression set in resolution. 'Yes. Of course I will', he says, unsmiling. I breathe a sigh of relief. I am no longer alone in this. The more people we have looking for Johanna, the better the chance of finding her.

'Okay. The first thing to do is to find my parents. They own the farm, and they know the area best. They might have some idea where she could have gone.'

I try to nod like I'm following his plan, but my mind is in chaos. 'We'll find her, Katniss', he promises, but as hard as I try, I can't bring myself to fully believe him. Doubt lingers in my mind, although I try to shove it away. Johanna's been missing probably since the middle of the night. Who knows how far she could have gotten in that time. Besides, we have no clue where's she's gone. No place to start.

I don't realise that he's standing at the door until he gestures for me to follow him. I reach out to the turn the door handle, but my hands are shaking so badly I can't get the door open. Peeta's eyes flicker to my face for a moment before twisting the doorknob himself. He leads me out the door and across the farm to the horse stables. Could it really have been yesterday that Delly brought us here to visit the horses? It feels like a lifetime ago.

'I think it might be more efficient if we split up', Peeta says, turning to me. I simply nod, not trusting my voice enough to speak. 'I'll go find my parents. You..you go see if anyone's seen Johanna recently. We'll meet back here in ten minutes.'

He's recovered from the shock of hearing that Johanna's gone missing and the only emotion I can identify on his face is determination. This is comforting, in an odd way. He's as intent on finding her as I am.

As determined as I may be, the only real shred of hope I have is that Johanna's a survivor. She's brave, she's clever. She's a fighter. Just like me. It's this thought, if nothing else, that fuels me to keep walking.

It turns out that no one has seen Johanna recently. Not even the security guards that guard the farm. They look at me blankly when I tell them her name. I don't waste time explaining, but instead head back to the meeting point to wait for Peeta, terrified of wasting the time we don't have.

I lean my pounding head against the cool metal of the shed. The two horses inside peer at me curiously, but I ignore them. Where could Johanna have possibly gone? Why did she go? And, how did nobody see her leave? All the questions I am unable to answer loop endlessly around in my brain.

My eyes find the small watch on my wrist and I follow the movement of the hand with my eyes. Each second that goes by reminds me of Johanna's absence.

I can't stand to be leaning against this shed, doing nothing, while Johanna is out there somewhere alone, or even lost. But I'd promised Peeta and since he's actually being kind enough to help me find her, I figure the least I can do is listen to what he says.

My thoughts return to Johanna as I wait anxiously for a Peeta's return. She'd thought through her escape well, that much is obvious. By leaving in the middle of the night when everybody was sleeping, she practically eliminated her chances of being caught..

Shaking my head to clear it, I reach into my pocket and pull out her note. I bring it close to my face and read and re-read it. It's almost as if I'm expecting new words to appear on the crumpled paper, telling me where she is and how to find her.

But, of course, nothing happens.

**Peeta**

When I was a child, I noticed that my father never seemed to stand up to my mother. Whenever she shouted at us, which was often, especially for me, he'd stand back, removed and un-attached, not looking particularly comfortable, but not stopping my mother either. And that's exactly what he does now.

'How could you let this happen?!', she explodes, pointing a manicured finger at me accusingly. 'Do you have any idea the damage this is going to cause us? When word gets out that an employee has gone missing, what will everybody think? No one will want to work here- we'll go bankrupt!'

The way she yells the last word makes her sound deranged.

My father surprises me my touching her shoulder, murmuring words too quiet for me to hear. Some of the tension leaves her body at his words, although her expression remains furious and she continues to glare at me.

I can tell she wants to shout all kinds of awful things at me, but my father seems to have managed to calm her down slightly.

'Don't make this mistake again', she hisses. 'And don't expect me to help you find Johanna'. She sneers her name, but I ignore it, focusing my attention behind her. On the intercom that is connected to the entirety of the farm and beyond. If there is a way to find Johanna, this it it.


End file.
